The style and opulence of the legendary luxury travel experience interpreted through the eyes and skill of Montblanc artisans
With each High Artistry edition, Montblanc artisans push the limits of technical expertise and creativity to transform a functional object into a precious work of art. Leaning into rare métiers d’art and pairing ancestral techniques with high precision tools, the creative designs of High Artistry editions articulate historic or cultural themes. The latest story to unfold through the technical and artistic virtuosity of Montblanc craftsmanship is that of the Orient Express, the epitome of luxury travel with the Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Edition.
A travel experience designed for glamour and sumptuous living, the Orient Express first enchanted luxury travellers on its maiden voyage from Paris in 1883. With its seductive comforts, ornate furnishings and world-class gastronomy, it was more than an ordinary train, it was a rolling grand hotel that redefined the very idea of long-distance travel at the end of the 19th century. Heads of state, movie stars and even spies travelled through Europe experiencing the opulence and comfort of this legendary train. It even made an entrancing literary backdrop, inspiring the storytelling of Alfred Hitchcock, Graham Greene and James Bond creator Ian Fleming, and making its ultimate mark on popular culture in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.
Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 1 with Case
In keeping with the fabled splendour of the mythical train connecting the Occident and Asia, the one-of-a-kind bejewelled Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 1 with Case made from solid Au 750 signature gold brings to life the celebrated interior marquetry decorations by René Prou. Diamonds set in a floral, Art Deco-inspired pattern pave the cap and barrel. Expressing the romance of the more than 3,000-kilometre journey that Orient Express passengers enjoyed, the historical routes from 1930 are traced in diamonds, rubies and blue sapphires on the hand-engraved solid Au 750 signature gold forepart. The diamond-studded grid decorating the cap top evokes the ironwork of the roof of the Gare de Lyon in Paris, where passengers often boarded the Orient Express. A blue sapphire crowns the airy and elegant cap top design, while the handcrafted, solid Au 750 gold nib bears a nostalgic engraving of a steam engine set with a brilliant-cut diamond.
Delights and discoveries were the hallmark of the Orient Express experience reflected in the intricate snap mechanism that opens the cap at the press of a button – a tribute to the elegant machinery at work in the engine. The wooden traveller case, especially designed to hold and protect the writing instrument, is inlaid with handcrafted ornamental wood marquetry in the style of the original Orient Express panelling and cabinetry designed by René Prou. Its functioning mechanical watch, equipped with the Minerva 62.00 movement, and an inkwell are a reminder of the importance of timekeeping on historic rail journeys while representing the luxury of travel and the convenience of having everything at hand on the journey.
Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 1 Papillon
The Orient Express offered a glamourous setting for intrigue and espionage not just in novels but also in real life. The spy Robert Baden-Powell posed as a naturalist and encoded secret information into butterfly drawings. The oval-shaped Montblanc High Artistry Orient Express Limited Edition 1 Papillon, whose silhouette emulates the oval form of the Orient Express cars pays tribute to this legend with an intricate butterfly made of plique-à-jour enamel at the heart of its design. Resting behind a windowed door, the butterfly unfolds its full wingspan when the door is opened. Seemingly crafted out of tiny, colour-infused drops of light, each wing is a testament of the sophisticated art of plique-à-jour enamel. The butterfly that adorns this edition reflects the same level of artisanship as the historic works of decorative art visionary glass designer René Lalique created for Orient Express. Hidden beneath the wings is an engraving resembling the enemy fortifications Lord Baden-Powell concealed in his own butterfly drawings.
The entire solid Au 750 signature gold fountain pen is covered with diamonds and individual-cut rubies. Further diamonds decorate the solid Au 750 signature gold clip and highlight the special snap mechanism that opens the cap. A tribute to the elegant machinery of the steam locomotive, this mechanism works by pressing a button on the side. The train’s traditional routes from 1930 are traced in diamonds, rubies and blue sapphires on the hand-engraved forepart. An engraving of a steam engine set with a ruby transforms the handcrafted, solid Au 750 gold nib into a celebration of the golden era of rail travel. The cap top of this 1-of-1 edition is decorated with the Gare de Lyon roof grid made of solid Au 750 signature gold, decorated with diamonds and crowned by a dazzling ruby. The entire cap top functions as a hinged door hiding a miniature automaton watch with mechanical movement and a fluorescent butterfly motif on the dial. Turning a small wheel by hand activates and deactivates the filling mechanism in the solid Au 750 signature gold cone, which is decorated with engravings, diamonds and rubies as well as white chalcedony.
Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 5
The Montblanc High Artistry Orient Express Limited Edition 5 expresses the elegant style of the early 20th century with an abstract pattern made of solid Au 750 signature gold and hand-carved red chalcedony stone, reflecting the upholstery pattern created for the Orient Express furniture. The modernist look of this edition reflects the height of fashion and design at a time when the Orient Express provided a novel setting in which the rich and famous could play. In a tribute to Mata Hari, one of the more mysterious passengers who frequented the Orient Express, a window in the barrel opens to reveal a delicate miniature painting of this famous dancer. Due to its tiny dimensions, this hand painting represents highly precise artistry carried out on a level beyond what’s visible to the unaided eye. The theme of espionage connected to the story of Mata Hari is captured on the handcrafted, solid Au 750 gold nib in an engraving of a magnifying glass and fingerprint.
Composed of gold, diamonds and red chalcedony, the cap conceals a special snap opening mechanism and a solid Au 750 signature gold clip, also set with red chalcedony. The edition also features the opening mechanism with a button on the side. The train’s routes are engraved on the solid Au 750 signature gold cone, surrounded with diamonds and crowned by white chalcedony.
In reference to the importance of timekeeping on this legendary journey, the cap top opens to reveal a miniature automaton watch with a mechanical movement and a beautifully designed enamel dial. The rounded shape of the cap top, made of white chalcedony stone, recalls the domed, ivory-coloured tops of the Orient Express cars. In a fitting tribute to the train that made luxury its mission, this edition is crowned with a Montblanc diamond.
Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 10
A passionate globetrotter, Agatha Christie was one of the most famous writers who both travelled on and wrote about the Orient Express, immortalizing the train in her 1934 crime novel Murder on the Orient Express featuring a cast of inscrutable characters and almost indecipherable clues. The design of the Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 10 makes many references to the details of the fictional case. The cap and barrel are crafted from stained sycamore wood, decorated with handcrafted gold-leaf and crystal flower inlays modelled on the train’s luxurious interiors including the wood marquetry of René Prou and the molded glass and silver inlays by René Lalique. A special push opening mechanism is opulently adorned with brilliant cut diamonds.
The cap top in white chalcedony is inlaid with a Montblanc emblem in solid Au 750 gold outlined with a profusion of brilliant cut diamonds. The stone can be opened to reveal a “broken” miniature clock with a white enamel dial, hidden inside with the time frozen at “01:15” when the murder happened. The cap top ring is set with 12 stones, evoking the number of times the victim was stabbed, while the solid Au 750 bi-colour gold nib is embossed with the murder weapon, a dagger. The forepart is engraved with the floorplan of cabin 2 where the murder occurred. The number “2” also appears on the solid gold cone, decorated with brilliant cut diamonds and inlays made from white chalcedony, with a screwing gear mechanism for piston filling. The iconic oval window in the dining car is the inspiration behind the “hidden” clip, recessed into the cap, in solid Au 750 gold embellished a hand-engraved serpent body and head is partly set with brilliant cut diamonds and two rubies as eyes. The serpent is a reference to the Montblanc Writers Edition 1993 honouring Agatha Christie that featured a clip adorned with a serpent.
Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 83
Limited to just 83 pieces as a tribute to the date the Orient Express became reality on 4th October 1883, the Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 83 is inspired by the enigmatic, smoke-engulfed locomotive of the Orient Express with the technical components and functions that were at the forefront of innovation in travel. Made from structured black lacquer, the design of the cap and barrel is based on the iron machinery of a steam engine. The skeleton overlay in solid Au 750 signature gold, partly rhodium-coated and set with sapphires depicts the Orient Express’ wheel and side rails. As a tribute to the elegant machinery at work in the engine, the cap opens with a special snap mechanism adorned with Montblanc emblem in mother-of-pearl.
The opulent décor of the train’s interiors was equalled by the elegant midnight blue, ivory-colour and gold livery on the outside of the cars and provides the inspiration for the shape and colour of cap top and cone of the edition. The cap features an inlay engraved with "Vitesse limite “ and “140km/h” stating the engine’s maximum speed. The dining car’s iconic oval window is the inspiration behind the “hidden” clip in solid Au 750 signature gold with pearly white lacquer inlays and a round blue sapphire. It is recessed into the cap and functions on a tilting mechanism. The oval window also decorated the nib. The laser engraving on the Au 750 signature gold forepart recalls the massive iron structure of the Gare de Lyon.
Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 333
As it travelled through the valleys and plains of Europe, the Orient Express distinguished itself by its striking colour combination of midnight blue, ivory-coloured and gold livery on the outside of its luxurious cars. This distinctive look is captured in the colour scheme of the cap and barrel of the Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 333, pairing translucent blue lacquer with gold for the fittings and an intricate solid Au 750 signature gold rhodium-coated skeleton overlay that recalls the ornate metal luggage racks inside the train. The cap top is crowned with a Montblanc emblem made of mother-of-pearl embedded in black onyx. Ivory-coloured lacquer inlays on the cap top evoke the ivory-coloured stripes on the sides of the cars. The cone is decorated with the route taken by the Orient Express in 1930, at the height of its legend of Art Deco style and glamour. The solid Au 750 signature gold is adorned with a replica of a small bouquet of flowers.
Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 1883
With a limitation number that marks the first every voyage of the train, the cap and barrel of the Montblanc High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 1883 are made of midnight blue precious resin crowned with a Montblanc Emblem in ivory-coloured precious resin to resemble the colour of the Orient Express. The yellow gold-coated cap ring features classic Meisterstück 149 embossing. The side of the cap is elegantly etched with a design inspired by René Prou artwork, while the engraving on the solid Au 750 yellow gold nib is inspired by one of his Art Déco flowers featured on the Orient Express.
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